Chapter 10:
The After Shock
Swirls of color were swirling through Knuckles mind as he lay in his bed, completely knocked out. He had used a lot of power in his epic battle against Chaos, making sure that the world was safe. He had not gotten a medal, or a statue, but he had his pride to hold him over until he saved the world again.
Knuckles awoke very slowly, Rouge sleeping by his side. He looked at her, and then wrapped his arm around her and closed his eyes. She had helped in the fight, killing Tikal, and keeping him on his toes the entire time. Knuckles had suspected Rouge to be on the evil side of things, but did not see her teaming up with the good side. They awoke several hours later, his arms still around Rouge. He hadn't let her go in several hours, and did not want to now, but everybody needed to get up and going.
"KNUCKLES!" Sonic hollered as Knuckles appeared in the doorway of the house. "You're okay. You took quite a beating." It sounded as if Sonic was screaming directly into his ears, but he showed not sign of pain. He had bandages he had not noticed before all over his body, and his hands were burning.
"I know I did." Knuckles said. "But I protected the Master Emerald, and destroyed the big evil that could have destroyed the world." Knuckles felt very proud in him, and his friends. Knuckles didn't save the world alone they all did it. He turned around and began walking back to the house to get something to eat when a black figure appeared in his way.
"Hello Knuckles. Good to see you up." Said the voice. Knuckles looked at him evilly, and then clenched his fist.
"What do you want Shadow?" Knuckles asked him. He was enraged that they let Shadow live, as Rouge had informed him.
"I just wanted to see if you were awake yet. Blame a guy for caring." He said. Knuckles backed off, trying not to get frustrated. They were all grouchy, as they normally were after defeating another one of Robotnick's insidious plans.
"I don't need this right now. No offense Shadow." Knuckles walked passed him, and into the house to see Rouge cooking. She placed food on the table, and everybody flocked in quickly. Sonic blazed past Knuckles in one swipe, and Shadow followed him. Amy appeared in the window, along with Tails, climbing through quickly. Of course, Amy clung to Sonic the second she could, and Tails sat in his normal chair, laid back. Knuckles sat down before Shadow could try to fight him for his chair, and then Rouge sat next to Knuckles. She grabbed his hand under the table, half expecting him to pull away, but he didn't.
"Guys, I have an announcement to make." Sonic said, standing up. They all looked up to Sonic, and raised their glasses to meet his. They were drinking Orange Juice. "I'd like to make a toast, no to be confused with the toast sitting in front of use that Rouge decided to make for everybody." They laughed at Sonic's cheesy joke, and then placed their glasses in the middle. "To Knuckles, for using his strength, and extreme intelligence to save the world!" They cheered, and Knuckles smiled. He hit his glass to everybody. Started from Tails, then to Sonic and Amy (Who were inseparable), Then to Shadow, and then he looked at Rouge.
"Ready to toast?" Knuckles asked her, looking into her eyes. She smiled, and then nodded.
"Yes, I am." She placed her glass on the table, and so did Knuckles. Knuckles reached his arms up fast, and pulled Rouge to him and kissed her. An uproar from Shadow made them laugh as they were kissing, but they had expected none less from Shadow. They slowly moved their heads away from each other, and then Knuckles pushed his glass against Rouge's on the table, to make a small CLING.
"Well, this is it. We're all here." Tails said very loud and proudly though his stitched up mouth. "We are the Sonic Heroes!"
The After Shock
Swirls of color were swirling through Knuckles mind as he lay in his bed, completely knocked out. He had used a lot of power in his epic battle against Chaos, making sure that the world was safe. He had not gotten a medal, or a statue, but he had his pride to hold him over until he saved the world again.
Knuckles awoke very slowly, Rouge sleeping by his side. He looked at her, and then wrapped his arm around her and closed his eyes. She had helped in the fight, killing Tikal, and keeping him on his toes the entire time. Knuckles had suspected Rouge to be on the evil side of things, but did not see her teaming up with the good side. They awoke several hours later, his arms still around Rouge. He hadn't let her go in several hours, and did not want to now, but everybody needed to get up and going.
"KNUCKLES!" Sonic hollered as Knuckles appeared in the doorway of the house. "You're okay. You took quite a beating." It sounded as if Sonic was screaming directly into his ears, but he showed not sign of pain. He had bandages he had not noticed before all over his body, and his hands were burning.
"I know I did." Knuckles said. "But I protected the Master Emerald, and destroyed the big evil that could have destroyed the world." Knuckles felt very proud in him, and his friends. Knuckles didn't save the world alone they all did it. He turned around and began walking back to the house to get something to eat when a black figure appeared in his way.
"Hello Knuckles. Good to see you up." Said the voice. Knuckles looked at him evilly, and then clenched his fist.
"What do you want Shadow?" Knuckles asked him. He was enraged that they let Shadow live, as Rouge had informed him.
"I just wanted to see if you were awake yet. Blame a guy for caring." He said. Knuckles backed off, trying not to get frustrated. They were all grouchy, as they normally were after defeating another one of Robotnick's insidious plans.
"I don't need this right now. No offense Shadow." Knuckles walked passed him, and into the house to see Rouge cooking. She placed food on the table, and everybody flocked in quickly. Sonic blazed past Knuckles in one swipe, and Shadow followed him. Amy appeared in the window, along with Tails, climbing through quickly. Of course, Amy clung to Sonic the second she could, and Tails sat in his normal chair, laid back. Knuckles sat down before Shadow could try to fight him for his chair, and then Rouge sat next to Knuckles. She grabbed his hand under the table, half expecting him to pull away, but he didn't.
"Guys, I have an announcement to make." Sonic said, standing up. They all looked up to Sonic, and raised their glasses to meet his. They were drinking Orange Juice. "I'd like to make a toast, no to be confused with the toast sitting in front of use that Rouge decided to make for everybody." They laughed at Sonic's cheesy joke, and then placed their glasses in the middle. "To Knuckles, for using his strength, and extreme intelligence to save the world!" They cheered, and Knuckles smiled. He hit his glass to everybody. Started from Tails, then to Sonic and Amy (Who were inseparable), Then to Shadow, and then he looked at Rouge.
"Ready to toast?" Knuckles asked her, looking into her eyes. She smiled, and then nodded.
"Yes, I am." She placed her glass on the table, and so did Knuckles. Knuckles reached his arms up fast, and pulled Rouge to him and kissed her. An uproar from Shadow made them laugh as they were kissing, but they had expected none less from Shadow. They slowly moved their heads away from each other, and then Knuckles pushed his glass against Rouge's on the table, to make a small CLING.
"Well, this is it. We're all here." Tails said very loud and proudly though his stitched up mouth. "We are the Sonic Heroes!"